This invention relates to mechanical devices for the transfer of eggs from one processing station to another processing station, specifically from a climate controlled setter chamber to a climate controlled hatcher chamber where the newborn chicks are hatched.
In the past it has been found that the transferring of eggs from one processing station to another has been greatly facilitated by turning the eggs over as a single group (several dozen) during the transfer, so that the eggs will be transferred from the one tray associated with the one processing station to another tray associated with the other processing station. In many cases, this procedure had been conducted manually, that is, two workman would manipulate the two types of trays as a super-imposed unit, revolving same, 180 degrees for example, so that the transfer of the eggs from the one tray to the other is completed, and then separating the trays after the transfer. During the course of such manual transfer, many eggs would be broken, as much as 5% of the number of eggs transferred for each transfer operation.
It is also known to use mechanical means for effecting such transfer operations, that is, to connect the two aforementioned trays by a mechanical housing and locking means and then rotating the unit about a common axis for the required 180 degrees to effect the transfer. Once the transfer is completed the two housings are separated by rotating one half of the housing back to its original position so that the respective superimposed trays, the tray containing the setter egg flats and the hatcher tray itself can be manually separated from one another. In such cases, however, the manual removal of the one type of tray from the other is a time consuming operation that often results in further egg breakage, owing to the manual interference at this stage in the mechanical transfer operation, with the result in many cases of the one tray being dropped on the other while the two trays are being separated. Not only is time wasted but a considerable amount of egg breakage is encountered, much more, for example, than might be encountered during the mechanical transfer of the eggs themselves.
There is a need, therefore, for an efficient mechanical egg transfer device which will afford an easy and quick transfer of a large number of eggs (several dozen) with minimal or no breakage in a minimum amount of time.